In the interview after the game he seemed gutted to be leaving and said something along the lines of "Yeah I thought it was the right decision at the ti......er" and realised what he was saying and changed the subject.

I think he thinks he has made the wrong decision at a tim he was unhappy at Leeds, was offered a big money contract and because he is a bit daft has just thought sod it and signed and now is thinking 'I don't really want to go'.

I really rate Lee Smith and would play him centre for England and I don't want him to go to union, I also don't want to see him go to union for a year and come back without that cutting edge and without skill as Pryce, Walker and Harris have done.

Wouldn't it be good if Leeds came to an arrangement of compensation to Wasps for Lee to stay at Leeds or another club.

I would love to see him at Wigan TBH.

I though exactly the same at the time about his comments. Might have just been emotion of the moment though.

I too would have liked him to have gone to Wigan and played full back. Better for him, better for the game.

In the speeches in the Long Bar he seemed to be pretty happy with his decision. I think the basic fact is that he's going to earn a massive amount more in RU than he can in RL. I don't think RL should try to compete with RU for wages as there simply isn't the money in our game to do it.

The fact that his gf(?)/mother of his kid won't be at Headingley any more is far more disappointing. She's well fit.

Why would Leeds pay compensation to Wasps to let him play for another club

Apparantly nearly signed for us last year.

I said when he signed for Wasps I'd rather he stayed in league even if at another club.

If he were 1st choice full back at another club I reckon he'd be first choice full back for England.

The way he has adapted to the right centre he should probably be first choice centre for England there too.

There's a brilliant, and telling, comment from Sinfield in the match programme.

How does"being allowed to speak to other clubs and deciding to stay whilst not talking to anyone"translate into he nearly signed for us??????

Because every player in the world wants to sign for the worlds most famous rugby league club ever.

Got the wrong end of the stick mate, Leeds or another club pay compensation if he doesn't want to go so he can play for that club. Don't act thick you know what I meant.

Going to another sport for more money is the wrong reason to go, as with Boxing/Muay Thai/UFC it's the poorer/hungrier fighters which are the ones that you have to be wary of so if he oges to union on a large wage and not doing much he will get complacent and lose that cutting edge that makes him the player he is.

With him playing League he is busy all the time playing for the club he loves and that keeps him on his toes and his mind sharp. With him going to Union he will be confused and frustrated to start with and over a period of time he will lose his skills, come back to league with his tail between his legs half the player he was never to recover.

Why oh why do players go to union? Appart from the money?

He did not fit wigans criteria, he's English.
that apart he will be back soon probs at Hull, as in Walker, Harris, Mathers, Morley etc all looking in from the outside.
Wish these blokes would remember through good & bad times the grass is always greenest at Headingley, John Holmes would have told them that.

I don't know whether to waste my time answering your post as it's obvious as you said it yourself.

A player is allowed to speak to other clubs, he speaks to Wigan, they offer him a contract as do Leeds, he weighs them up and decides to stay at Leeds therefore nearly signing for Wigan.

Jesus wept bird brain!

Did you not read my post properly????????
He didn't speak to ANYONE!!!!!!!!
Wigan announced an interest he was given permission to meet other teams but he DIDN'T!!!!!!!Hence he didn't nearly sign for anyone

Add Tansey to that list.

Morley has done well though and the rest haven't.

He does fit Wigans criiteria as he is a top class player and as Ian Lenagan said if the right kind of calibre of player were available he would dip his hand into his pocket to finance the deal and if I were IL I would enquire about it.

The question was a bit out of place to be fair. Asking a player just minutes after he has scored the winning try in a historic Grand Final if he's happy to be leaving? Of course it's going to be difficult for Smith to answer.

Whilst money will no doubt be a factor, I'm sure there are personal reasons for the move.

At the time, the deal was probably right for the club. He was never likely to dislodge Webb from the full-back slot, he was fairly unknown as a centre at the time the deal was done and so the club's valuation of his skills was probably a bit two short of his own. That happens in all walks of life.

For what it's worth, I think Smith is arguably the best-equipped player that we've sent to RU to actually make it there, certainly the best since Robinson.

Have you had a swig of truth serum rather than spouting horse muck 24/7?

Not Morley to a degree but let me add Calderwood.

But you have to remember he has made his name playing the sport he has played for most of his life playing with his close mates for the club he loves.

I think he will do well though even though I don't want him to leave RL and want every player who turns their back on RL to fail miserably.

Exactly, he came to Wigan for the moola, he had one stand out game for us for me against Bradford in the play offs. Why do players think they can do better elsewhere they are better off staying at Leeds.

Nick Scruton is a decent player and he went to Bratfort, were the reasons financial?

Yes. And to play along side Sam Burgess who is a big mate.

That move has worked out well for Nick hasn't it.

Yes, and a longer deal than leeds offered to boot.
GH has a strict pay structure and he wouldn't break that hence bye bye scroots.

But you have to look at the other things that will be important to Lee Smith.

He has a partner who will benefit from living in London, he is obviously willing to challenge himself in a new environment, he is working with a coach that clearly knows about the transition from league to union and he will, if he makes a success of it, enjoy a far greater profile than what he would have ever experience in RL.

Of course, I'm not qualified to say what he did and didn't base his decision on, and I doubt that anybody on here is, but I'd wish him luck with the move.

Bad move going to Bradford who are a crap team now full of average aussies who will be forgotten in 5 years (exept Menzies).

It's like if Ablett got oo big for his boots and fancied moving on the another club for more money say Salford, Castleford etc he might be on more money but he will have no chance of winning anything and Sinfield was right in what it says in your sig.

Good luck & I hope you have a successful carrer in rugby yawnion. I cant blame anyone going for the money, it is a short carrer and you need to maximise whatever you can from it. Go for it Lee and make us RL fans proud so we can say " I told you he would be good"

Incidentally, Chris Ashton (remind me again, who did he used to play for in RL) got two tries in kick 'n' clap last night ....

Maybe Eric Pollard at the DW should be popping down to Northampton asking for him back ?